Signing off as a guest blogger (and reprise of U of Edinburgh's conference)

I've really enjoyed posting this past month (thanks again, Dan et al.!), and as I sign off, I wanted to spend just a bit of time talking about my impressions of the Beyond Text conference (to which I've already referred here and here). 

When I went to the first half of the conference back in December 2008 (the experiential half, where we actually looked at art, made some art ourselves, did some movement/dance work, and generally reminded ourselves that there are more ways of looking at the world than just reading text), I remember feeling a reconnection to "play"--to a part of myself that I hadn't experienced in years.  Our group seemed to get over the embarrassment, early on, of differing abilities and talents in these non-textual areas, and we put aside the traditional "what will people think of me" reticence in order to try new ways of viewing the world. 

The paper presentations that I heard two weeks ago moved me, albeit differently.  There were concrete ideas about ways to enrich the law school experience, not just in the US but in the UK as well.  I found myself being captivated by the ways in which our pedagogy, tweaked only a little bit, might bring home to students the "peopleness" of the law.  That's a frustration I've had recently--that the cases are so far removed from the people in them that students forget that cases are about particular people and their problems.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how this process evolves.  And, although I can honestly say that haggis is an acquired taste that I have not yet acquired, the ability to brainstorm with colleagues from across the Atlantic has inspired me to do more international conferences.  On to Marmite!

(Posted by Nancy Rapoport)

Comments

[aion power leveling]

The paper presentations that I heard two weeks ago moved me, albeit differently. There were concrete ideas about ways to enrich the law school experience, not just in the US but in the UK as well.

[Dentist Birmingham]

Experience and event sharing ideas quoted nicely with interesting ideas and theme.